Work of Heart
by shockandlock
Summary: Unfortunately for Marco, the nude model at his art class's session is too attractive for him to handle. When he introduces himself to him as Ace, Marco can hardly resist his invite for a coffee. Why does he seem familiar though? Is Ace hiding something behind those star-like freckles and beautiful eyes? opsecretvalentine gift for Miss Meira/missmissymeira on tumblr


**A/N: This was supposed to be half of the actual length it was, but whatever. It was fun to write! Happy Valentine's Day, Miss Meira!**

**opsecretvalentine story for missmissymeira on tumblr**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Marco was professional. He was calm, collected, and in control of his self. His class had worked with nude models before. He was an art student, so it was only natural. Before, wasn't affected by any of the models, but that's probably because they had been women. Marco wasn't attracted to women. _This _model, on the other hand, was very much not a woman. This model, with his cocky smirk, toned abs, and perfect arms, was very attractive to Marco. Not for the first time, Marco cursed himself from becoming an art student (he would never apologize for his sexuality, but it was definitely screwing him over now).

Admittedly, he knew when walking into class that they would be looking at a male model. Izo, who was in the same class, tried to warn him. Marco thought he would be perfectly fine. It's not like he wasn't used to seeing naked men (having several brothers made things that way unfortunately). Marco felt inclined to blame the model himself. He seemed confident in what he was doing, like he didn't mind being naked. The models they worked with before usually acted shy or indifferent. This model was still, but occasionally he shifted into a new pose, showing off how his muscles flexed under his skin.

His face didn't look too bad either. Marco loved the freckled splashed across his face, and his dark slightly messed hair brought his appearance together. Marco was pretty sure that he smirked at him a few times, and he had to admit that the smirk was sexy. Sadly, he also had to admit that he was close to getting aroused a few times.

It's not like he could look away though. This was for anatomy practice, and he would prefer to get something done. He would look stupid if he just sat here staring anyways, so he picked up his pencil and started sketching. He focused on the basics first. The… _details _would only distract him now. He pressed his pencil down harder, creating a more solid line.

Awhile later, he felt someone walk beside him. "Hello, Marco," Izo greeted. They hadn't seen each other before class.

"Hello," said Marco without taking his eyes off of the page. "Shouldn't you be sketching?"

"Marco," Izo sighed, "if you hadn't spent such a long time staring at the poor boy, then maybe you wouldn't be chastising me for such a thing. I am merely taking a break." Despite what Izo said, Marco found this fair enough. He was better at working with the human body than Marco was. The elder preferred other things as his subject matter. "Anyways, how are you holding up? It's a wonder you have anything done."

Damn him. He knew. Marco decided that he would try to ignore this comment. "I'm perfectly fine, Izo. Why do you ask?"

In response, his brother rolled his eyes. "Don't be like that with me, Marco. We've already discussed how you were staring at him earlier."

He did. Didn't he? Marco almost forgot.

"Maybe you should say _hello_ later~" The innuendo in his voice had been rather obvious.

"I'd appreciate if you'd stop trying to set me up with people. Be more concerned about yourself, yoi." He sketched the outline of an arm, taking extra care when drawing how the hand was positioned, which, despite the fact that he was an art student, was still a tedious task.

"You know that I'm perfectly content, Marco."

"You say that, but why do you, keep getting mad at Thatch when he flirts with women?" He looked up from his sketch briefly and tried not to smirk. Izo was blushing profusely. As he should since Marco just implied that he was in love with Thatch of all people, not that he was wrong.

"A-anyways," Izo stuttered. "I still think you should make a move. You never know what could happen." With that he returned to his spot to continue sketching. Marco finally allowed his smirk to come out. He had won this round of sibling banter. He turned back to the model, blushing again when his gaze wondered a bit too far down. Maybe it would be better if he focused on the upper half, Marco told himself.

And so their eyes met, and Marco was left breathless. This model had a nice body, but if Marco had to say which part of him was the best, he would say the eyes. They were a simple brown, but they were the most beautiful brown Marco had ever seen. His eyes seemed like a beautiful fire, and Marco wanted to stare into them forever. It's like he could forget all his worries when he stared into his eyes. They were perfect.

He would draw those eyes, he decided.

The model was staring at him too, so much that one would think they would begin speaking. They did not. Something about the silence between them (though the room was filled with side conversations and the sound of sketching pencils) made them completely content. They kept their eye contact. It only broke when Marco looked down at his paper to draw. He couldn't help wondering what the model was thinking about him.

He started by outlining the eyes, sketching them large on the paper. He moved his pencil in a circle, drawing what would soon be (or at least he hoped) the mesmerizing orbs. He shaded carefully, wanting to capture that color. He would love to have some colors right now. There was no way to perfectly capture this without them. He would settle for his pencil now unfortunately. He had resolved to draw the model's eyes, and yes, he realized that he was missing the entire point of the session. He didn't care. This was fine. He found himself content with forming the lines of the model's jaw, his nose, his mouth, which was no longer smirking.

Before he knew it, the session had ended. Both model and artist broke out of their stupor. They had gotten so caught up in each other that they hadn't noticed time passing. It was unfortunate, because their time, albeit silent, together was over. The model left to change. Marco wasn't sure what else he should do besides gather up his things and leave. Maybe he should have said something, but he didn't want to make him feel awkward. But now he knew the model's face fully. They would find each other if they wanted, and Marco was fine with that.

Izo pulled him aside in the hallway once he left the room, though Marco wasn't quite sure why. "You, moron!" he hissed. "What is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about, yoi?"

"You had the perfect chance to ask him out and you didn't say anything!"

In Marco's honest opinion, Izo was being pretty ridiculous, and he had several reasons why. Well, for one… "He was naked, Izo! I wasn't going to talk to him when he was still naked. That would make things more awkward."

Izo rolled his eyes. "What a pathetic excuse. He didn't really seem to mind all that much."

'_Yeah, but I minded,' _Marco thought dryly. He decided to leave this thought unvoiced. Izo would only make fun of him for it. It wasn't like him to get so embarrassed.

"You know what I think, Marco?"

"Here we go again…"

"I think it would be wonderful if you two got to know each other."

"All we did was stare at each other in an art class, yoi," Marco shot. As much as he _did _agree that he would like to get to know him better, Izo wasn't making much sense right now.

"Yes, _but_ he was naked."

"I don't really see where you're going here."

"C'mon, Marco!" Izo exclaimed in an almost whine. People began to stare, so he dropped his voice. "Just admit that you're attracted to him!"

Izo had a point. He hadn't stared at the class' model like that because he was uncomfortable, or because this was the first time he worked with a nude model. The man was certainly attractive, and Marco would probably have to admit this to his brother to get him to shut his gossiping mouth. "Okay. Fine, Izo," Marco groaned. "Is that what you want me to say? Fine. I thought that he was _very_ attractive."

"Um- Excuse me," someone piped up from behind.

Marco froze. He didn't know the guy's voice and he wasn't even looking, but judging from the look Izo was giving him, the person standing behind him was exactly who he thought it was. He turned around slowly. The guy who modeled for their session was staring right at him, face flushed slightly. He had heard Marco. He definitely heard Marco. In that moment, Marco wanted to sink into the ground. Even though his attraction had been rather obvious from the way he stared at him, it was still awkward that this stranger knew what he thought of him now. They didn't even know each other's names!

Izo coughed to break up the tension. Marco had a feeling that he wouldn't be staying long. Sure enough, he said, "Well, I'll just be leaving you two to your privacy." Izo wasn't hiding what he wanted to happen very well. "See you later, Marco." He shuffled his things around in his arms and stalked away.

Marco wasn't quite sure what to say. Thankfully, the stranger spoke for him. "So, your name is Marco. Huh?" he voiced his wonder, tasting the name on his lips. Marco rather liked how it sounded when he said it.

"Yes it is." He held out his hand and smiled. "It's nice to meet you, yoi."

"It's nice to meet you too," the guy grinned. Marco felt his heart flutter against his rib cage. "I'm Ace!"

It was short and sweet, but still rather unique. Marco liked it as well. "So, Ace. What are you here for?"

"Well," the flush on his cheeks suddenly returned, "I- erm, noticed how we sort of _connected_ earlier." No doubt he was talking about when they were having a sort of moment in a world apart from anyone else. Marco would have blushed too, but he kept himself composed. "I wanted to say hi. Get to know you."

Marco smiled. He wouldn't mind getting to know Ace either. "In that case, do you want to grab a coffee with me?"

"Do I?" Ace seemed to light up, making Marco's heart flutter. "I know the perfect place!"

Thankfully, neither of them had a class afterward, so they headed straight to the place that Ace wanted to go to. He dragged Marco along, grinning joyfully all the while. The blond didn't mind at all. Something was telling him that Ace was familiar, that he was safe. They hardly even knew each other, Marco knew he could trust him. Ace felt the same way. He knew he could trust Marco not to do anything creepy to him, especially after seeing him in the nude.

They finally stopped when they arrived outside of a tiny building. The sign read: _Mini-Merry Café._ Ace, who was still holding Marco's hand, approached to push open the door. Marco could hear a bell chime under Ace's cheer of, "C'mon Marco!" Suddenly, they were standing in front of the counter talking to a red-haired barista, who raised an eyebrow when she saw Marco

"Oi. Who's this?" she asked.

"This is Marco," Ace introduced. "I met him in a… class." Marco understood the way Ace referred to the class. It would be suspicious if he went around telling people that they were getting a coffee after they met in a nude modeling session. "Marco, this is Nami. And I'll have a steak and egg sandwich please."

"Geez," the barista, Nami, rolled her eyes. "Always thinking about food. Aren't you? You really are related to Luffy. Anyways, nice to meet you, Marco. What would you like to order?"

Well, she just got right down to it. "I'll have a black coffee, please," Marco requested.

"Sure thing," she nodded. "Give me sec."

While Nami busied herself with preparing his drink and Ace's sandwich, Ace dragged him over to a table for two. "So," Marco started, folding his hands atop the table, "tell me about yourself."

"Well," Ace said, "I'm a freshman at New World University, but I guess you could probably figure that out." Fair enough. Ace looked pretty young, and Marco didn't see him last year (though something was still nagging him that he was familiar). "I'm undecided for now, but I uh- thought I might do something with art. That's kinda why I volunteered for that session. I was um-" he blushed. Marco rather liked how it looked across his freckles. "I was curious."

Marco couldn't help wondering why Ace was acting so shyly now. He had been so confident during the session. The blond decided that it wouldn't hurt to ask about this.

"Oh that. It's just that I guess I wasn't really thinking about it at the time, so it wasn't that embarrassing," he answered, looking away in embarrassment. "But I guess, now that you're here with me…" he must have realized what just told Marco because his eyes widened and he hastily attempted to change the subject. "What's it like being an art student?"

Though Marco found this action a bit suspicious, but he responded nonetheless. "It gets hard at times, yoi, but I'll tough through it. You won't get through this if you don't have any passion for it." This warning was added as an afterthought. It wouldn't hurt to make sure Ace was making the right decision for himself.

"But I _do_ have passion for this!" Ace declared loudly. Nami leaned over the counter to glare at him, causing him to rub the back of his head sheepishly. He dropped his voice. "Sorry. It's just that art kinda keeps me going." He reached down and started to dig around in his bag, giving Marco time to think. He hadn't meant to hurt him. In all honesty, he was just trying to be helpful. He understood how Ace felt though. Art was Marco's way of letting go, and if it was Ace's too, then it was only natural that he wanted to pursue it as a career.

He suddenly heard Nami sigh, interrupting his thoughts and Ace's searching. She set their order down on the table. "You know, you could at least get your stuff when it's ready. I'm a barista, you know, not a waitress."

"Yeah, yeah," Ace grumbled, ignoring her complaint. He was quite focused on finding whatever he was looking for.

"You still owe me," she finished before returning to her place behind the counter. Marco picked up his coffee up and took a sip. It was a bit hot, but it didn't really bother him. It was rather well made.

"Ah, here It is!" the freckled man exclaimed. Marco directed his attention back at him. Ace flipped open the pages of his sketchbook, turning it towards Marco to show him.

It was a drawing of Nami, and Marco could've sworn that it took his breath away.

The drawing looked extremely lifelike. The detail was just amazing! It was as if he could see every wrinkle in her apron, every strand of her hair. He had captured the barista's image perfectly, and from what he was seeing, it was done purely in pencil. Impressive for sure.

"This looks amazing!" he complimented.

Ace's eyes lit up. "Really? Thanks! It took a lot of practice. I just like drawing people, I guess."

"You've got skill," Marco continued. "I'm not the best at drawing people myself, yoi."

This statement must have intrigued Ace, because suddenly he was leaning over the table, staring at Marco with those brown eyes. "Why were you at a nude drawing session then? Are you a… _stalker?" _Ace asked.

Marco could tell he was joking, but his response was instinctive. "N-no! It was a requirement!"

Ace laughed at his defensive response. "Just kidding, Marco!" The blond felt his blush (the one he didn't even know he had) subside. "If it's okay with you," Ace sounded a bit hesitant, "could I maybe see that drawing you did of me?"

So he knew. Of course he knew. Ace was the model for that class after all. Besides, it's not as if Marco had been very discreet about it. Still, he couldn't find the heart to refuse the request. He found himself searching through his own bag, pulling out his sketchbook seconds later. He flipped it open, skipping past the pages where he had drawn the… _finer_ points of Ace's anatomy. He handed it to Ace to view.

Ace was silent for a few moments, making Marco dread the impending criticism. While criticism itself wasn't a bad thing at all (it was something essential to every creator), Marco knew he had messed up his chance to impress him. He was about to reach over and take his sketchbook back, but Ace cut him off.

"Wow," he gasped. "I knew you were looking at me, but I didn't think you would draw me like this."

"You don't like it?"

"No, I like it!" Ace said quickly. "It's just that, I didn't really think you were going to draw my face like that." His blush returned, and this time, his cheeks seemed redder. He took a bite out of his sandwich, presumably to distract himself.

"I'm glad you like it," Marco smiled. He felt the relief rush through him. "I usually paint landscapes, but you were just so beautiful that I-" This time it was Marco's turn to realize that his thoughts left his mouth without control. He himself flushed. Ace obviously what he said. Marco could tell since he saw that Ace stopped chewing to stare at him.

Thankfully, Ace figured that he was embarrassed. He swallowed his bite and asked, "So you like painting landscapes. Huh?"

"Uh- yeah," Marco replied, relieved that the subject had been changed. "Maybe I'll show you sometime."

After they finished eating, Marco glanced at the clock on the far wall and almost cursed. He hadn't realized how much time passed. He needed to get back home. "Sorry, yoi," he apologized, fishing in his pockets. "I need to get going. How much do you need for the coffee?"

Ace waved it off. "No need," he grinned. "My friends own the place!"

While Marco was quite surprised to learn this fact, a shout distracted him. "Damn it, Ace! We're trying to make money here!" He almost laughed. Almost.

"Maybe we could do this again sometime?" he suggested.

"Well… Only if you give me your number!

* * *

Ace practically collapsed on his couch in relief. That date, if you could call it one, had gone over much better then he thought, though his heat was still beating rapidly. Of course he would feel this way. After all, Marco was still as amazing as when they first met.

The blond didn't recognize him at all, but Ace knew. That was the face that saved him that night. It was a face he could never forget. One that stuck in his mind clearly, serving as inspiration for his pencil time and time again. He wanted to see it over and over, so he pulled out his phone to look at the photo Marco put in his contact list.

Marco looked like he had when Ace first saw him. His haircut still looked like a pineapple, and his blue eyes were still the most wonderful things he ever saw. Some part of Ace told him he was disgusting. He was pretty much acting like a stalker, though that was not his intention. He could blame Marco, but really it was his own fault. It was his own fault that he fell in love.

"Shishishi!" Ace turned. Luffy was right there, looking over his shoulder. "Whatcha lookin' at, Ace?"

'_Damn it!' _Ace cursed. _'Caught in the act. Wait. There's no way that Lu knows-'_

"Isn't that the guy you draw all the time?" Luffy asked. Ace cursed again, verbally this time. He tried to hide his phone from Luffy, but the other just snatched it away. Ace forgot how fast he could be when grabbing things he wanted (food for example), and Ace himself was the one who would be paying for that. "It is!"

"And why do you care?" Ace grumbled, swiping his phone back from his all too curious younger brother.

"But your drawings of him are super good!" Luffy exclaimed. Of course he would think that. Ace showed him his art all the time, and the boy himself drew like a three-year old. "Nami thinks you can make a lot of money off of them."

Ace knew this already. Nami actually directly recommended it to him to pay off his tab at the café, but he never had time to consider it. Ace closed his eyes to think on this. It wouldn't be too bad to have some extra money around, especially with their appetites. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. Those drawings of Marco _were_ his best work.

Wait…_Marco?_

Scratch that. Bad idea. _Very bad idea. _What if Marco ever saw those drawings? It would only make Ace look more like a stalker! Sure, it could be argued that he drew these recently (which he hadn't), but there was a problem: Ace dated all of his drawings, and the dates were far before this supposed "first meeting" of theirs.

He had to text Marco. He had to make sure that things were normal between them. He had to make sure that the other man didn't suspect a thing. His fingers hovered over the keys, a thought striking him.

They had only just met, yet maybe Ace should stop. Maybe he should stop before Marco found out how disgusting he was and threw him away.

But instead, the contents of his text were: **How 'bout we go to the park sometime? It's really pretty there. I promise you'll like it.**

**Sure. Sounds like fun. Does Saturday sound good to you?**

Ace had just dug himself a deeper hole. Hadn't he?

"Shishishi! Ace has a date!"

He wondered what Sabo would say to him if he was still here.

* * *

"You seem quiet today," Marco noted. "Yesterday, you were so talkative, yoi."

Ace hoped the sweat on his brow wasn't too noticeable. Damn it! If he just acted like everything was fine, Marco shouldn't have to suspect a thing, yet here he was, acting like a nervous wreck. Well, it wasn't too late to act. Right? "I'm fine, Marco!"

The blond appeared surprised at his enthusiastic response. "If you say so. I just thought you would be dragging me around like when you brought me to the café."

If that's what Marco was expecting, then that's exactly what Ace would do! Now was the perfect chance for a comeback. He took Marco's hand and grinned. "Alright then! Let's go!" Just like their first outing, Ace began to drag him along with the perfect destination in mind. He sped his pace, feeling kind of bad for making Marco run along with him. Thankfully, the blond seemed to be keeping up perfectly fine, but it wouldn't hurt to check. Ace glanced back only to have his heart flutter. Marco was _smiling_ at him!

Gods, that smile was amazing, but Ace had to look away or else he would crash into a tree. That would be embarrassing. Now, he would have to focus on reaching his destination. It wouldn't take much longer now. He would just have to head through this patch of trees. Ace made sure to move the branches aside, holding them so Marco wouldn't get hit.

"Okay. We're here!" he exclaimed, gesturing outward. "What do you think?" he asked, looking back.

Marco was silent for a moment, making Ace worry, but once he saw the look of wonder in his eyes, he gave out a sigh of relief. "It's beautiful, yoi," Marco breathed.

"So you like it?"

He nodded. "Of course I do! I've been here a lot with my family, but I never knew this park had a view like this."

That's exactly what Ace thought when he first found the place. The view was truly amazing. The grassy hill overlooked the lake in the center of the park, light of the sun reflecting off of it beautifully. You could see anyone from here: the mother pushing a stroller, the man running the hot dog cart, or maybe the little boy feeding the ducks. Another beauty of it was that no one could see you back. The place was so far away from everything else that it was liberating. And finally, the thing that pulled it all together: the bright blue sky with its fluffy clouds.

"Thank you for bringing me here, yoi." Marco smiled at him again, and this time, Ace thought he was going to melt into the soft grass beneath him.

"I-I'm glad you like it." Damn it! Did he just stutter? '_Stop acting suspicious, Ace!' _he scolded himself. "I thought you would when you mentioned that you liked drawing landscapes. This is…" he looked away, embarrassed, "this is my own special place."

Marco fell quiet once more, and Ace panicked. His eyes flickered upwards in curiosity. The blond looked genuinely shocked this time. "You would do this for me?"

Ace wanted to tell him. He wanted to tell him why he was doing this and why Marco was so special to him, but he just couldn't. Marco would reject him quicker than a heartbeat. He had to think of something to say.

"Ace?"

"I wanted to see if you would like to draw it!" Well, he definitely said something, but how stupid did he sound? You can't just show an artist something and expect them to draw it! Stupid!

But suddenly he heard Marco chuckle. The smile had returned. "Well, I guess I could see what I can do, yoi," he said. He sat down in the grass and reached into his bag. "Good thing I brought my sketchbook, though it's a shame that I don't have any paints." Ace had wondered why he had brought the bag in the first place. Maybe he should've brought his own.

Marco looked up at him. "Aren't you going to sit down, yoi?"

Ace blushed. He hadn't realized how long he'd been standing. He sunk to the ground, adjusting himself so he was comfortable. And yet, Marco was still staring at him. "W-what?"

He gestured towards himself, patting the grass directly beside him. "We are on a date. Are we not?"

Ace wanted to scream 'fuck yes!', but thankfully he contained it, instead choosing to nod.

All he could do was hope that Marco could not hear his heart pounding against his ribcage as he rested his head on the man's shoulder.

* * *

"I don't see why you have to be like this, Thatch," Izo huffed, crossing his arms.

The chef rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying! Don't you find it a little weird?"

"You've had plenty of time to raise an objection to this! They've been dating for months! And besides," he shot, "can't you just be happy for Marco?"

"I _am_ happy for him, but-"

"Why are you two here, yoi?" Marco grumbled, setting his glass of water down on the table and glaring at his brothers. "And could you stop talking about me when I'm sitting right in front of you?"

The two stopped their argument, turning towards him.

"Okay. Look, Marco," Thatch started. "I know Ace makes you happy and all, but we don't even know him!"

"_I've _met him!"

"Thatch," Marco said. "I _know_ Ace. As Izo said, it's been months. I've just never had the time to introduce him to everyone, yoi." He could've sworn he heard a quiet mutter of the word 'bullshit'.

"If you want me to be honest with you," the man continued, "I just want to make sure you're making the right choice. I think it's just a little suspicious that you guys 'connected'." He raised his fingers to do air quotes in order to emphasize his point. "What if he was a stalker that just suddenly got the nerve to approach you? What if he's just trying to take advantage of you?"

"It's rude to suggest such a thing, you know," Izo interjected. "Just ignore Thatch. He's just an idiot who doesn't believe in love at first sight."

"I'm sure I'm not the only idiot around here," Thatch countered. "_You're _too much of a romantic sap."

"Leave," Marco commanded. "I'm about to have a date here."

"Well, I needed to get back to work anyways."

"If Thatch continues to bother you, just text me. 'Kay?"

Marco was relieved when his brothers finally left him. They bickered too much (certainly they were expressing a certain type of _frustration_). It was just his luck that Izo be here at the restaurant Thatch worked at before his date with Ace. Maybe bringing Ace here was a bad idea, which was a shame since Ace was always showing him neat new places. He thought it would have been perfect: provide a nice dinner and introduce him to Thatch, so he would have been killing two birds with one stone. But now, he was nervous.

He and Ace had been in a genuine relationship: one full of care and love (though Marco had not admitted it yet). Never had he imagined that what happened in the nude modeling session months ago would end up like this. He was glad though. He was glad that Ace approached him and asked him on a coffee date. True, their attraction had been physical when they first met (they _had_ been staring at each other), but as they got to know each other, that changed. They texted every night, brought each other to new places, showed each other their art pieces, and eventually, formed an emotional bond, and a strong one at that.

Why did Thatch have to be so negative?

He trusted his brother, he really did, but the man had no reason to doubt him like this. Ace was a good person. Marco hoped to change that by introducing them to each other. He truly did value Thatch's opinion, but that didn't mean he always agreed with him.

Yet, Thatch had a point. Marco himself never completely believed in love at first sight. The initial connection he felt with Ace should've been strange to him. Normally he wouldn't have accepted an offer like the one Ace gave him that day. It was suspicious that Ace would choose to approach him, especially since they only knew each other from Marco staring at his naked body for a good amount of time. He just didn't see Ace's logic in this. What if he really was a stalker or something?

Marco felt horrible for doubting Ace. He could blame Thatch for this fact, but it was his own fault. He wanted to believe in Ace, so all he could do was wait for him to get here.

The more and more he waited, the tenser he got. He never minded waiting for Ace. The younger man was very prone to lateness due to his narcolepsy. Marco thought it was pretty cute though. He found out about it when Ace fell asleep on his shoulder once. It never took him too long to wake up, so Marco could wait. He shifted in his seat to be more comfortable.

And when he saw Ace's smiling face enter the restaurant, he smiled back, and stood up.

"Hey, Marco!" Ace greeted, leaning up to kiss the blond's cheek.

"You're finally here," Marco teased.

"Oi!"

"Just kidding, yoi," he laughed, pulling out Ace's chair for him.

Once they were all settled in, Ace began flipping through the menu enthusiastically. He was interested in several dishes, so Marco was glad that he was able to get a discount through Thatch. They started with their usual exchanges, such as asking how each of their days were. Marco was anxious to introduce him to Thatch, but he would keep that secret for now.

Marco saw Ace's eyes light up, and he knew the food was coming. "Great!" Ace exclaimed. "I'm starving!"

"Of course, you are."

"Hehe. That guy has funny hair."

Marco tried not to laugh. He couldn't see the kitchen from his seat, but he wasn't expecting Thatch, who actually worked as a cook in the kitchen, to be the one to deliver their food. He would be so pissed if he ever found out that Ace insulted his hair, but it would be fine with Marco considering how much Ace made fun of his own hair.

"Yo, Marco," Thatch greeted, setting their dishes down on the table.

Ace looked confused. "Do you know him, Marco?"

Marco smiled. "I do," he answered. "Ace, this is my brother Thatch."

His date perked up again, reminding Marco a bit of a puppy. "Oh!" He reached over to shake Thatch's hand. "It's nice to meet you!" Ace grinned.

"Hey," Thatch greeted. Marco could tell that he was forcing politeness, but at least he was trying. Marco was sure that he would learn to get along. They were pretty similar in certain ways.

They couldn't talk for long since Thatch had to get back to work, but Ace told him a bit about what he did, which got him a bit interested. Thatch could be pretty appreciative of art considering both Izo and Marco were art students. Marco was thankful for this.

When Thatch started to head back to the kitchen, he stopped to whisper something to Marco. "He's fine for now, but be careful, bud."

"I'll be fine, Thatch. Ace is a good person."

This exchange went unnoticed by Ace, who already started digging into his food.

"Whatever you say, Marco."

He trusted his brother, he really did, but Marco could take care of himself. So it was only natural to accept Ace's offer to go back to his place.

Right?

* * *

The apartment Ace lived in was relatively nice. There were a few shirts scattered here and there, but considering the states of some of his own brothers' apartments, Marco thought that this was tolerable. He was just glad that the bedroom was a bit neater, perfect for what was about to happen.

The blond felt like smacking his self. What kind of perverted thought was that?! Fairly enough, Ace invited him back here, no doubt for the exact type of activity that Marco was thinking of. Still, was he really _that_ eager to see Ace's naked body once more? Probably, though he didn't fall in love with Ace for his body, not that the factor was completely omitted from the decision.

Gods, his thoughts were creepy right now. What if that's why Ace was staying in the bathroom? Maybe he decided that he didn't want to do this anymore. Maybe Ace finally remembered that Marco was creepy for advancing on him after he had seen him in the nude. Marco took a deep breath to calm himself. Ace was the one who invited him on a date. Ace was the one who brought him here. All he could do was wait.

Yet his rare anxieties were getting the best of him. He stood up and began pacing around the room. He felt rude, but he began searching around in the drawers. It never hurt to be prepared. Condoms and lube were a necessity. He hoped that Ace didn't forget.

Eventually, he found something interesting, but it was not what he was searching for. It was a sketchbook.

It was a sin to just casually leaf through an artist's creations without permission, but it was as if the book was beckoning to him. He opened it.

This drawing of him was a beautiful one. Marco's form looked so graceful, arms spread out into bird wings. It looked as if he were alight with fire even though Ace didn't use colors. Yet there was one issue. Marco knew that Ace liked to put dates on each of his sketches, so this just didn't make sense to him. The date on it was _before_ he met Ace.

Far before he met Ace.

Was Thatch right? Was Ace actually stalking him beforehand just to get close to him? Marco didn't know what to do with this information. It wasn't ideal to be dating someone who was a stalker, but he couldn't bring himself to cut their relationship off. He couldn't do that to Ace. He couldn't do that to himself.

More and more questions ran through his head. Continuing to stare at the drawing, he kept chanting over and over in his mind to believe in Ace, but there was still doubt settled in his heart. And then he froze.

"M-Marco?"

* * *

Ace's heart soared when Marco accepted his offer to go back to his apartment. Thankfully, Luffy was out with his friends tonight, so Ace would have the place all to his self. He couldn't have asked for a situation more perfect.

Well, it would have been better if he wasn't so impulsive.

He _tried_ to tell himself months ago that what he was doing was dangerous. He was gross and disgusting for getting this close to Marco, someone who had been so kind to him and had given him so much. This was all his own fault. Because he had fallen so deeply in love with Marco when he saved him that night. He fell in love and he thought he would never see Marco again, but it was just his luck that the blond was a student in the class he was modeling. Even though he was the one who had stood naked in that room, he was the one pursuing Marco. What would Marco think if he knew that Ace continued after him after their first meeting, after they were never supposed to see each other again?

Gods, he loved Marco, and he needed this right now more than ever. He panicked about getting too close to Marco, but now they had developed a legitimate relationship. Ace was glad for this because despite Marco's handsome face, he didn't fall in love with him because of his looks (though that factor _definitely _helped). But love didn't exist without trust. He had to tell Marco the truth sooner or later.

That's why he was mentally preparing himself in the bathroom while Marco waited in his bedroom. Boy, did he feel silly for being nervous. He was the one who asked Marco to come here after all. It was time to stop acting shy! Ace breathed in, pushing the door open to his room.

He wasn't expecting to see Marco holding his personal sketchbook: the one that had all the sketches of him.

"M-Marco?"

* * *

There was fear shaking behind Ace's eyes, overtaking Marco with guilt. He shouldn't have picked up the sketchbook, but he couldn't bring himself to regret it. He had to know.

"What is this?" His question was quiet, full of disbelief.

Ace wasn't sure what to say. His body wouldn't move, too frozen with shock as his mind tried to process his situation. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. His instincts were telling him to deny everything, snatch his sketchbook back, run away, _anything_ but stay still and let Marco think he was a disgusting stalker.

It was over. Everything between him and Marco would come crashing down. Marco would leave him forever, throw him away, maybe even report him to the police. Ace didn't think he could deal with that, but losing Marco was the worst part of all this.

"Ace, please."

Marco's words finally broke him out of his haze. He needed to leave. Maybe when he was gone, Marco would leave too. And then… they would never see each other again. The thought was painful, but it was what was inevitably going to happen. He turned away, running towards the door. He would say that he was ready for this, but he would never be prepared to be rejected by someone he loved so much. The feeling was suffocating, squeezing the tears out of his eyes.

Then Marco stopped him by embracing him from behind.

"I know you're scared right now," he whispered. "I'm sorry, yoi. Everything will be alright."

Despite his comforting words, Ace remained stiff in his arms. He wasn't sure what to say. Any wrong word would break things between them even more. Somehow he found words, though he felt far away, unaware of all he was saying. "You must think I'm really creepy. You must hate me," he whispered back.

Marco countered this statement by placing a gentle kiss upon raven locks. "Don't assume things." He carefully gathered Ace into his arms in a gesture of comfort and climbed back on the bed, holding him close. "Look at me, Ace. I don't think anything less of you." Seeing Ace so vulnerable had eradicated his doubt. His feelings were too strong towards Ace to let him suffer like this. "Just tell me. I promise I'll listen to everything."

Ace almost couldn't believe Marco's words. They were so warm, and they calmed his anxieties, bringing his awareness back. He remembered just how much he trusted Marco and how Marco trusted him in return. He complied with Marco's wish, turning in his arms and hugging him back. Marco was drawing small circles on his back to calm him even more. Ace could tell Marco. He could tell him everything.

"Marco, you…" he started. He _wanted_ to tell Marco, but he wasn't sure how to. But he couldn't turn back now. He would just let the words come. "You saved my life. It was awhile ago. Before we met in that art session."

Marco was shocked to hear this. It was true that Ace felt familiar to him when they "first" met, but he didn't remember doing anything like _saving his life_.

"I mean, you didn't remember me, but I remembered you. I won't ever forget," Ace continued.

"Last year, I got into a car crash. My brother never trusted me to drive, but I did anyways, so… he died _because of me_."

This statement was even more shocking to Marco. "But Luffy-"

"Not Luffy." Ace shook his head. "Sabo." He slid the sleeve of his shirt up, exposing tattoo. Marco already knew it was misspelled with a crossed out "s", but he never pried about its meaning before. It didn't have to be explained to him now. "He was younger than me by a few months, but he was more responsible. In some ways, he was the older brother, so when he died, a lot of responsibility was pushed onto me.

"My gramps was pressuring me into all of this stuff, so I could support Lu. He didn't want me to go after art. He kept pushing me into the business, or worse: the marines. And he threatened me by telling me that he wouldn't let me see Lu if I didn't. All of that on top of Sabo's death... it was all so suffocating, so… I thought that I would end it all."

Marco kept silent. He could only imagine what it would have felt like if his family pushed him away from his passion. He drew his arms tighter around Ace, letting him know that he would always be there. It would be hard for him to talk about what was coming next, but Marco would listen.

"I went to the bridge. You know the one that's above the river? I was going to jump, but just when I was about to fall, just when I was about to _die_, I felt someone catch my wrist." Ace pulled back to look into Marco's beautiful, blue eyes, shining with concern. "It was you, Marco.

"You pulled me back over, and then you brought me to a café. You bought me a steak and egg sandwich and a black coffee for yourself." That's what they always ordered when they went to the Mini-Merry. "You talked to me, told me that I was worth it, that it wasn't my fault, that I deserved to live. You told me about how you loved art, and how since it was your passion, it made you happy. Every day your words run through my mind." He smiled. "They encouraged me to be strong enough to _do what I wanted_, so I applied to New World. I didn't know that you went there too.

Marco remembered now. No wonder he felt like he knew Ace. How could he have forgotten? That night… He remembered his pounding heart as he caught Ace's wrist and pulled him back over. He remembered lending his jacket to Ace, and bringing him to a nice little place to eat. The words he said had been sincere. His passion… he was happy to share such a thing. Yet he was still curious about one thing.

"And these drawings, yoi?" he asked, picking the sketchbook back up.

Ace took it from his hands, running his fingers over the drawings fondly. "I couldn't forget your face," he said. "So I drew you over and over. You're a phoenix: it's a mythical fire bird, a bird of life."

So that's why he drew Marco as a phoenix. He saved his life after all.

"I know it's probably weird, but I couldn't stop drawing you. Because Marco…" Ace's voice dropped, as if he were afraid to say this more than any other thing he had revealed. "From that first night, I have been… I…" And suddenly he blurted it out, spilling his feelings to him. "I love you!"

Marco hadn't made a big deal out of anything Ace said so far (though that didn't say anything about his thoughts during the whole explanation), but he heard his own audible gasp. Ace's eyes were shining with determination, and Marco knew that he didn't regret anything he just said. Unable to contain his own emotions anymore, he brought his hands up to the back of Ace's neck and pulled their lips together for a passionate kiss.

Ace, shocked that Marco would respond in such a way, gasped as well. A tongue slipped through his parted lips, which he eagerly accepted in. After setting his sketchbook aside carefully, he wrapped his arms around Marco, causing them to fall back.

They broke away, still staring into each other's eyes full of love. Marco took a hand off of his lover's neck and ran it through Ace's hair. "Ace," he whispered, never breaking his gaze from the eyes he loved so much. "You've done so much for me over the past few months. You've helped me with my anatomy, you've showed me new places, so I just want to say… I love you too."

"Then show me," Ace breathed, taking Marco's lips again.

It was as if they were in a trance. Their clothes were off before either of them was aware of it, but they didn't care. In that moment, all they needed was each other. They rolled over on the bed a few times, making sure to mark the other one with hickeys and bites.

Eventually, Marco ended up on top of Ace, lube-coated fingers preparing his lover. They were too impatient to deal with foreplay right now. Marco stretched his fingers out to make more room, smirking when Ace moaned out. He looked amazing, really, with his flushed face and lustful eyes.

In the next moment, Ace was straddling him, entrance hovering over Marco's cock. He slowly lowered himself down onto it, biting his lip from the pain. To comfort him, Marco rubbed circles on his hips gently. A shuddering breath left his lips once Marco was fully sheathed inside him, leaving him to adjust to his lover's girth.

Ace was definitely a work of art in his own way, especially when he was riding Marco.

It took Marco by surprise when Ace started rolling his hips. Usually, he tried not to be vocal in bed (he lived with a big family after all), but that action was enough to make him moan. The sight of it was hot too, working wonders on his arousal. His hands left Ace's hips, so he could pull the younger down close him. They locked lips again, Marco thrusting upwards while Ace continued to roll his hips. The friction between them was extremely blissful, causing them to moan and gasp into each other's mouths. Their passion for each other was too overwhelming for them to last.

Ace cried out, rhythm faltering when that special spot was hit. Much to his pleasure, Marco continued for him, sending ecstasy racing through his body. The pleasure caused him to tighten around Marco's length, making Marco cry out as well. "Marco," he gasped, trying to keep his noises down. "Marco, _please._"

Ace pleading his name was enough to end him. He came inside his lover, mind far away. The only thing he was aware of was Ace coming too from the friction caused by their rubbing bodies, his face contorted into something beautiful from the pleasure.

They were left connected, still panting for their wonderful activity. Eventually, Ace gathered himself up enough to climb off of Marco, removing the condom from his lover's soft cock and tying it off before throwing it in the garbage can next to the bed. When he lied down again, Marco embraced him. "You're so considerate," he chuckled.

"No problem, Marco!" Ace grinned back, snuggling up next to Marco. "You're amazing, you know."

"As are you."

* * *

"You're really giving this to me?" Ace asked incredulously, handling the painting gently.

Marco smiled, loving the joy shining in Ace's eyes. "Why not, yoi? You let me keep that drawing, which I keep by my desk by the way."

Ace grinned. "You do? Thanks!" Marco had shown him his paintings before, but this was Ace's favorite by far. Of course it would be since it was a painting of their special little spot in the park. "The sky looks perfect," he complimented, "and I love how you painted the birds too!" The ducks that were usually in the park were depicted flying high in up towards the clouds. "When did you find the time to paint this?"

"Since you made something from your heart, I wanted to make something for you from mine," Marco admitted. He took the painting from Ace and set it aside so he could hug his lover. "I went there whenever I had free time, though I had to get Izo to distract you a few times," he chuckled. "I made sure to put every single one of your favorite details."

"Y-you did?" Ace blushed. Even though he noticed them, he didn't even think about that. Marco was genuinely thinking of him when he made this. It warmed his heart. He smiled once more. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, yoi," Marco said, kissing Ace's cheek. "Now, shall we go? I have to prove to Thatch you're not a stalker."

"I always wondered why he was acting so suspiciously towards me on our date that one time," Ace laughed (a wonderful sound in Marco's ears).

Marco raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not planning anything weird. Are you?"

"Maybe~"

"I have a feeling that you'll fit right in, yoi," Marco chuckled. "You already know how Izo is, but you'll get along with Thatch once he gets to know you. I have a feeling that Haruta will like you as well. And of course, Pops will love you."

"I can't wait to meet them!"

"Well, let's get going then."

"…Hey, Marco?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ace."

* * *

**The smut's not that detailed since I was on a time crunch XP, but I hope you like it!**

**Please review!**


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